vetter



Oct. 29, 1957 o. B. VETTER MULTIPLE ORIFICE VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1955 IN VEN TOR. Orro B VETTER Oct. 29, 1957 o. B. VETTER $811,174

MULTIPLE ORIFICE VALVES Filed June 21, 1955 2 SheetsSheet 2 IN VEN TOR. 0770 5. VETTER United. Sttes MULTIPLE ORIFICE VALVES Otto B. Vetter, Irwin, Pa., assignor to Hagan Chemicals & Controls, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 21, 1955, Serial No. 516,904

4 Claims. (Cl. 138-45) This invention relates to orifice valves and more particularly to a multiple orifice assembly therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide a multiple orifice assembly for orifice valves in which a particular size of orifice may be selected, the construction being such that while switching from one orifice size to another, excessive pressure diiferentials are not developed because of blanking-off of flow.

Another object is to provide a multiple orifice assembly that is so constructed it may be installed in a standard gate valve and operated by means normally employed for operating the gate of a gate valve, without shutting off flow or interrupting operating conditions.

A still further object is to provide a dual orifice assembly adapted for use in standard gate valves and in which the larger orifice is fixed in position while the smaller orifice is movable to or from operating position by normal gate valve operating mechanisms.

Other objects of the invention will in part be apparent and will in part be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of a gate valve provided with multiple orifices, arranged and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section of the orifice assembly embodied in the valve of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top-plan view partly in section of the assembly shown in Fig. 2, the section being taken on lines III-III thereof; and

Fig. 4 is an end-view of the valve as seen looking from right to left in Fig. 1 showing an operating mechanism for the valve and also showing the relative positions of the orifices when the smaller orifice is in operative position.

In the drawings and particularly with reference to Fig. 1, a multiple orifice valve is shown that comprises a gate valve body 1 having a bolted-on cap or bonnet 2 provided with a seal or stufling box 3 through which the valve stem 4 operates. The valve is provided with a multiple orifice assembly 5. As specifically illustrated, the assembly 5 includes a fixed orifice 6 of relatively large size and a movable orifice 7 of relatively small size.

Orifice 6 is formed in an orifice plate 9 which is secured in a recess 10 in the upstream face of a holder 11. Holder 11 is provided with a threaded portion 12 that is screwed into the valve body in a position normally occupied by the downstream seat member of a standard gate valve as shown in Fig. 1.

Orifice 7 is formed in a plate 13. Plate 13 is movably mounted between orifice plate 9 and a guide and retainer member 14 which occupies the position normally occupied by the upstream seat of a gate valve. As shown, member 14 has a pad 15 at the bottom thereof that rests on a pad 16 at the bottom of the valve body. The upstream face of the member 14 is provided with a reduced portion 17 that fits into the upstream'inlet to the valve body. The member 14 is provided with ball bearings 18 that are pressed against the orifice plate 13 by springs 19 located in bores 20, the springs being retained in position and in compressionby screw plugs 21.

When the orifice holder 11 is first installed it is screwed fully into the outdet of the body, but after the member 14 has been placed, the. holder 11 is backed out until it engages member 14 with adequate pressure for the operating conditions to be encountered.

As shown in Figs. 1 and.3, the member 14 is provided with recesses 22 and 23 on opposite sides thereof that guide plate 13 as it moves to or fromoperative position.

The lower end of stem 4 is connected to the upper end of plate 13 by means of pins 24 and 25 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

When the smaller orifice 7 is in operative position as in Figs. 1 and 2, the orifice plate 13 occupies the position there shown. In that position the lower edge of plate '13. is'below the bottom. of orifice 6 and the upper part of the plate. extends a distance above the top of orifice 6. As plate 13 is raised to render the larger orifice operative, the larger orifice is never fully blocked oif. That is so, because while plate 13 is being raised a large portion of the orifice 7 is in registry with orifice 6 and then as the lower edge of the plate 13 passes the lower edge of the orifice 6, the orifice 6 communicates with the upstream side of the valve. When the larger orifice is in use the lower edge of plate 13 will be in line with or slightly above the top of the orifice 6.

The orifice operating mechanism can be either manual or adapted for power operation. As shown in Fig. 4,

the valve stem 4 is operated by a lever 27 which is connected by a pin 28 to the upper end of the stem. The right-hand end of lever 27 is pin-connected to a fulcrum lever 28', the lower end of which is secured by a pin 29 to a bracket 30 secured to the flange of the bonnet 2. The opposite end of lever 27 is provided with a link 31 that may be connected to an operating device such as a power cylinder not shown, or it may be dispensed with and the lever 27 operated manually.

The veiw of Fig. 4 shows the orifice 7 in concentric relation with the large orifice 6.

A mechanism as shown and described is useful in connection with flow meters. The dual orifice arrangement provides for adjusting the orifice size to the pressure differential range of the meter for the ranges of rates of flow to be measured. Also, the multiple orifice device may be used to change to a portion of a flow measured thereby with respect to the flow measured by another differential orifice device, where the relative differential pressures of both are employed with means for controlling the ratio of the flows.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains that various modifications and changes may be made in the illustrated embodiment without departing from either the spirit or the scope of the invention. Therefore, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A multiple orifice assembly adapted for use in gate valve bodies comprising an orifice holder having a flow passage therethrough and provided with means for securing the same in the valve body in the location of the usual downstream gate valve seat, a fixed orifice plate in said holder at the upstream end thereof, said fixed plate having a relatively large orifice therein, an orifice guide member disposed in a location normally occupied by the upstream seat of a gate valve, said guide member having a flow passage therethrough coaxial with the passage in the orifice holder, a movable orifice plate between the downstream face of said guide member and the fixed orifice plate, said movable plate having an orifice therein smaller in size than the orifice in the fixed orifice plate, said smaller orifice when in operative position being concentric with the larger orifice, and means for operating the movable orifice plate from a position in which the orifice therein is concentric with the larger orifice to a position in which the smaller orifice and movable orifice plate are out of registry with the larger orifice.

2. An assembly as in claim 1 in which the guide member is provided with ball bearings and means for yieldingly urging said bearings against the upstream face of the movable orifice plate.

3. The combination with a gate valve body having a gate operating stem, a bonnet and seal through which the stem operates, of a multiple orifice assembly comprising an orifice holder having means for securing the same in the location normally occupied by the downstream seat of the valve, an orifice plate secured in the upstream face of the orifice holder and having a relatively large orifice therein, the orifice holder having a flow passage therethrough, an orifice guide member having means for positioning one end thereof in a location normally occupied by the upstream seat of the gate valve body, said guide member having a flow passage therethrough coaxial with the flow passage in the orifice holder, and a movable orifice plate located between the downstream face of the guide member and the orifice plate in said orifice holder, said movable plate having an orifice therein of smaller size than the orifice in the orifice holder plate, the upper end of said movable plate being secured to the valve stem, the orifice in said movable orifice plate being concentric with the larger orifice when in one position and said orifice and plate being out of registry with the larger orifice when in another position.

4. The combination as in claim 3 in which the orifice guide member is provided with ball bearings and means for yieldingly urging the same into engagement with the upstream face of the movable orifice plate, and the orifice holder is adjustable towards and away flom the movable orifice plate in order to preset the clearance between them.

References Cited in the file of this'patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,692,177

Olson Feb. 4, 1941 

